La Liga Matchday #22: Valencia CF 1 - 0 RC Celta de Vigo Match Thread

Valencia return to Mestalla to play Celta de Vigo in the 22nd matchday of La Liga.

Valencia come into this game having secured a place in the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey against Cultural Leonesa. The game went to extra time and beyond that to a penalty shoot-out, testing the squad's fitness. It was disappointing that the team could not managed to score once against them over the span of 120 minutes. 

Celta Vigo, on the other hand, had a week ahead of this game to prepare, having been eliminated at the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey by Mirandés.

In the previous La Liga matchday, Valencia secured a 2-0 home win against Barcelona and surprised many. 

Celta Vigo's game last week was against Eibar; a game which they drew 0-0 at home.

The result from the previous week mean that Valencia is at 7th position with 34 points, while Celta Vigo is in the relegation zone at 18th with 17 points.

Valencia La Liga form: WLWDD

Celta Vigo La Liga form: DDDLD

SQUAD

With the transfer market in its few hours and Valencia having made only one signing thus far, the squad looks largely the same. 

Florenzi, the new loan signing, does get called up despite initial news saying he would be left out. This could be a good sign, meaning that he was deemed to be ready by the coaching staff. With Wass also returning to the lineup after an absence in the Copa del Rey due to discomfort, this leaves no room for Correia and he is dropped from the list. In the center of defense, Garay takes his spot back from Mangala, after also missing the mid-week fixture with some discomfort. 

In offense, Rodrigo features again with the transfer saga involving him and Barcelona being finally over. They have settled on another player as they were unwilling to pay Valencia's asking price, preferring instead a loan with no purchase option; a proposal that Valencia would rightfully dismiss.

With regards to injuries, Jaume Costa is out of this game after discomfort during the mid-week game when he couldn't finish the game and had to be replaced by Gaya. Guedes continues training with the team and is expected back in the game against Atalanta. Piccini has also recently started training with the rest of the team. There is little information about Cheryshev, Vallejo's and Cillissen's injuries.

Celades went with Florenzi in the starting XI as right-back. It's a good game to get him adjusted to matches in Spain. Interestingly enough, Wass is also in the starting lineup, probably playing on the right-flank. This leaves room for Ferran to go play upfront with Maxi Gomez. While Rodrigo is available, he will be on the bench to start.

Bench: Rivero, Diakhaby, Kondogbia, Kang In, Gameiro, Rodrigo, Sobrino

MATCH

Wow, Murillo went around and exchanged hugs with every Valencia player and staff on field and on the bench. Good to see a positive return from a former player.

2' - Great chance right off the bat for Valencia. Parejo with a great dispossession in the opposition half, Wass picks out Ferran who then dummies his defender before squaring the ball to Wass in the center. The shot is just wide, he needs to hit the target there but great build up.
12' - Aspas with a driving run forward, Parejo attempts to tackle but misses him. Paulista intercepts the run but makes a mess of the clearance and it falls back to him in space for a shot on goal. Luckily, it's easy for Domenech.
15' - Corner wrongfully awarded to Valencia. Parejo hits it right at the nearby defender resulting in a throw in. The resulting play from the throw sees Ferran cross, Maxi nod the ball on to Wass but he is out-muscled by Murillo. The ball falls to Soler for a shot but it's just wide of the left post. Celta still upset about the corner being awarded while there are some appeals for a penalty for the challenge on Wass.
19' - Yellow card for Paulista for using his arm against Iago Aspas
22' - Florenzi goes on a wild run forward with Garay holding his pass for a while before playing a lob over the defense to send Florenzi through behind the defense. He surprises everyone with a volley and almost places it into the top right corner if not for the keeper's outstretched hand. He was offside anyway so it would've have counted.
32' - Yellow card for Daniel Wass for stepping on to the opposition player.
36' - Garay goes down after landing on his leg. While the medical team examines him, Diakhaby is warming up in preparation to take his spot.
38' - With a bit of treatment and after testing out his leg, Garay decides he can continue and returns to the field.
39' - Yellow card for Comesaña for a collision with Gaya to stop his run.
42' - Valencia will go through with the substitution after all with Garay concerned about his leg. Garay off, Diakhaby on.
45' - Two minutes added for stoppages.
45+2' - Parejo with a free kick after a challenge from Aspas on Maxi. Ferran connects with the delivery and heads it but it's wide of goal.

HALF-TIME: Pretty even game so far, with maybe a slight edge to Valencia in terms of the quality of the chances that came throughout the half. Celta does not look like they're trying to "park the bus" but are rather coming forward and attacking. This should leave room for the Valencia players to exploit and saves Valencia from the struggle of having to breakdown a tight-knit defense. However, there still hasn't been a clear chance so far.

Florenzi has seemed competent in his role and one can only assume that he will get better as he adapts to the team and to Spanish football. Parejo has also looked quite sharp, contributing with passing as well as some useful sliding tackles. The central defenders need to work a bit on their distribution of the ball rather than just returning possession to the opposition. Unfortunate about losing Garay in the first half. Hopefully, it's not a prolonged absence but it could be a significant loss ahead of some important fixtures this month.

50' - Yellow card for Florenzi for a challenge on the edge of the box. Free kick for Celta Vigo.
52' - Iago Aspas takes the free kick from a dangerous position. It's going in but Parejo clears it with his head off the line! It appears that Jaume whispered to Parejo to watch his back and cover the opposite side. Great coordination!
53' - Second substitution for Valencia. Florenzi is taken off and Rodrigo comes on. Roaring applause for Florenzi as he is walks off. Wass slots back into right-back, Ferran moves wide and Rodrigo takes his spot beside Maxi Gomez.
56' - Gaya decides to go on a solo run forward, going past the Celta midfield. Maxi is ahead of him in anticipation of the through ball but Gaya chooses Rodrigo at the far side in space. His touch is poor and the chance is wasted. Not a good way to start.
61' - Wass reclaims the ball after a Celta attack and picks out a beautiful ball forward to Rodrigo catching the defense off-guard. Rodrigo drives the ball forward with with his markers ahead, and Ferran wide. He tries a through ball for Maxi but it's over hit. Ferran is left wondering why he didn't receive the pass instead.
65' - Yellow card for Celta's Rafinha for following through on a challenge on Rodrigo.
71 ' - Rodrigo with another chance at goal after Maxi let the pass go through for him. The ball curls away from the post and out of play.
72' - First substitution for Celta Vigo. Sisto on, Araujo off.
73' - Celta with their own chance. Aspas sets up an opportunity for Gabriel Fernandez and he hits the target. Jaume can only parry the effort and Diakhaby has to clear for a corner.
77' - GOAL VALENCIA! 1-0! Carlos Soler with the goal. Diakhaby with a long clearance forward that finds Ferran in space ahead. He takes a touch to control and then plays a curling cross with the outside of his foot. Rodrigo is first to the ball and heads it back and down for Soler to run onto and slot it past the keeper.
79' - Celta Vigo with their second change. Their new signing Smolov comes on for Gabriel Fernandez.
80' - Yellow card for Maxi Gomez for a challenge with his studs showing.
82' - Celta showing their intent to win with an attacking change - their final one. Beltran is replaced by Santi Mina, who is applauded by the Mestalla crowd.
84' - Rodrigo receives the ball on the right flank in space. He cuts inside, takes on the defender, takes it away from him and picks out a shot at goal. The keeper saves it.
88' - Yellow card for Sisto for a late challenge on Parejo.
90' - Four minutes of stoppage time added.
90+1' - Yellow card for Coquelin for a shove.
90+4' - Aspas with a last minute free kick at goal. Jaume saves, almost spills it but eventually gathers it up. The referee blows the full-time whistle.

FULL-TIME

An important win, especially as rivals have dropped points and/or face difficult fixtures this week. This win gives Valencia the three points needed to finish the day at 4th place.

The debut performance from Florenzi was another positive. He looks like a solid player that will be very useful to have. He didn't complete the game but it was a glimpse of what he could do.

It was also unfortunate to lose Garay especially with critical matches ahead. The extent of the injury is still to be determined.

The second half had slightly more entertainment value than the first, particularly due to the goal. It was a very quick transition from one end to the other and into the net in 3 passes. Diakhaby to Ferran to Rodrigo to Soler and then goal. It was interesting that for that play Ferran and Soler had switched positions.

Valencia had several other chances throughout the half but yet again the problem persists. The ball gets to the final third and then there is a struggle to convert chances into goals.

Objectives wise the team is on track in all competitions and hopefully the performances step up to match the intensity of the schedule and fixtures ahead.

Next game is on Tuesday, February 4th against Granada away from home for the Copa del Rey Quarter Finals. Amunt!

Copa del Rey Quarter Finals Draw

The draw for the 2019-2020 Copa del Rey Quarter Finals has been completed today. The results are as follows:

Valencia CF have avoided the tournament favorites and rivals, landing a fixture against Granada CF. It's another favorable fixture, but again cannot be taken lightly. Both Valencia and Granada have struggled to put away opponents from lower divisions in this competition so it will be interesting to see how they fare against each other.

The other teams in the draw are all teams you would expect to be there with the exception of Mirandés. However, in their last fixture they surprised everyone and beat Sevilla 3-1 at home. The semi-finals will be a tough fixture as such.

The game will be played on Wednesday, February 4th at the Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes in Granada.

Official: Valencia CF loan Alessandro Florenzi from AS Roma

Valencia have officially announced the loan of Alessandro Florenzi from AS Roma. This is Valencia's first arrival in the winter transfer market which closes tomorrow (January 31st).

The loan deal does not include a purchase option as was the case with loan deals in recent times for Valencia. The player will return to AS Roma at the end of the season (June 30th, 2020).

This signing leaves Valencia with 4 right-backs in the team - Florenzi, Correia, Piccini and Wass. Piccini is currently in the last phase of recovering from his long term injury and should be back one or two weeks into February. Wass provided versatility and adapted from his midfield role into the right-back role as a response to that injury and the lack of an alternative. Correia was signed to ease and grow into this role and eventually take over in the future but has so far not impressed.

Moving forward, it is expected that Florenzi will be the main starter for this role, at least until Piccini returns and Celades can evaluate them both to meet the needs of the team. Celades has not had the opportunity to work with Piccini prior to this due to the injury. Some will points out that Piccini did not perform before his injury but it remains to be seen if the new coach can get something out of him. This also means that Wass will hardly feature as right-back once Piccini returns. Instead, he will probably return to the midfield role as a replacement for Parejo. As for Correia, it was reported that the club has been actively seeking to find an outlet for him and has assigned Mendes to the case but they are having difficulty finding any demand, which is quite concerning quite frankly.

Florenzi has already started training with the team but will likely not be ready to play this Saturday's La Liga fixture against Celta Vigo.

Copa del Rey Round of 16: Cultural Leonesa 0 - 0 Valencia CF Match Thread (2-4 penalty shoot-out)

The Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey will see Valencia travel away from home to play against Cultural Leonesa at the Estadio Reino de León.

Cultural Leonesa, like UD Logroñés, plays in the Segunda División B. In fact, they are both in Group 2 with Logroñés in 1st position and Leonesa in 2nd. Now it might be tempting to say that Valencia won against the group leader so the 2nd place team should also be a win. However, Valencia really struggled in that game and the scoreline aws hardly indicative of the difference of the caliber of the two teams. Also, Cultural Leonesa knocked out one of the favorites, Atletico de Madrid, from the competition already. This is not a game to be taken lightly. A chance at the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey awaits the winner.

Cultural Leonesa come into the game with a 1-0 away loss to the Athletic Bilbao B team, conceding in the last 15 minutes of the game. In the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, they beat Atletico de Madrid 2-1. Atletico scored first in the 62nd minute but the game was equalized at minute 83. This took the game to extra time where they managed to score mid-way into the first half and held the opposition at bay for the remained of the game to secure the results.

Valencia come into this game having shocked everyone with a 2-0 win at Mestalla against Barcelona. The away team looked far from the threat they normally posed and Valencia had the upper hand. They even managed a clean sheet, which is firstly, rare this season and secondly not expected against the league leaders. In the Copa del Rey Round of 32, Valencia beat Logroñés, but just barely with 1-0 win. The team dominated the first half but could not put the game to bed and the opposition was allowed to take charge of the game in the second half.

Cultural Leonesa form (all competitions): LWDWW

Valencia form (all competitions): WWLLW

SQUAD

Cillissen is absent from the squad list yet again, still struggling with that injury, ever since the Super Cup fixture. Rivero is called up as Jaume's back-up again.

In defense, Garay and Wass, are both left out of the squad. Some sources say this is a technical decision, other say that they had discomfort post-match against Barcelona. Thierry Correia and Mangala are called to fill the gap. 

The midfield looks more complete with Parejo returning to the squad, having missed last game via suspension. Cheryshev is still out so Esquerdo fills his spot. Guedes has trained with the team and should be back shortly. 

For offense, Rodrigo is the notable absence. With all the rumors circulating about the interest from Barcelona and a likely transfer, many will see this as a sign that he is on his way out. There was some news that he traveled with Cillissen and Manu Vallejo to Barcelona to have their injuries looked at. It remains to be seen how this will develop.

The starting XI features many changes from the weekend La Liga game. In defense, Correia and Costa are introduced in place of Wass and Gaya as full-backs. Also, Diakhaby joins Paulista in the center of defense with Garay absent.

In midfield, Kondogbia is given another start, this time alongside Parejo. To either side of them, Soler and Ferran occupy the flanks.

Celades gives Maxi a rest and opts for a striking partnership of Gameiro and Kang In. Again, Ferran and Kang In's positions are inter-changeable so it remains to be seen who will start where. Regardless, they will both bring a lot of energy and dynamism to the lineup.

Bench: Rivero, Mangala, Gaya, Coquelin, Esquerdo, Sobrino, Maxi Gomez

MATCH

1' - Chance for Leonesa from a corner. The header is hit low but Domenech can get down quickly enough to save it.
6' - Correia plays the ball ahead into space for Ferran to run onto. Ferran passes his marker, looks up and crosses for Gameiro but the defender gets in the way of the shot. The ball goes out for a goal kick.
10' - Parejo with a loose pass but he makes up for it by pressuring the defender to win the ball back. He plays a great through ball for Ferran who squares the ball across goal but the defender gets to the ball ahead of both Gameiro and Soler who were on the prowl inside the box.
19' - Valencia's corners seem like they always go to waste. When the delivery is good, the header does not even hit the target.
23' - Early forced substitution for Cultural Leonesa due to injury. Calvan off, Pichin on.
27 - One of the worst free kicks possible. It was a good chance to get a cross into the box and the ball doesn't even make it past the first Leonesa defender.
31' - Gameiro spreads the ball out wide for Ferran who then returns it to Gameiro in space. The shot is blocked by a Leonesa defender for a corner.
42' - Correia doesn't seem to be having a good game. Many loose passes and difficulty controlling passes.
43' - Really good chance for Valencia. Parejo threads a pass to Gameiro in the box, he takes a touch to knock it past the defender and sets himself up for a shot. Unfortunately, it's over the cross bar.
44' - Another chance for Valencia. A throughball from midfield to Gameiro in a wide position. It is almost out of play but he barely keeps it and plays a sliding cross to the center. Correia clashes with a defender over the ball but he cannot get a shot on goal. The ball is cleared.

HALF-TIME: Pretty tame performance this first half. Leonesa is just the type of team that Valencia struggle against. They have almost everyone behind the ball defending, leaving little to no space and making them tough to break down. The team struggled with this for the majority of the half but managed to set up some decent chances towards the end with some precise quick passing. Unfortunately nothing came of those chances. On the other end, Leonesa hasn't really troubled the Valencia goal. Just two decent chances at the beginning and the end of the half. Adding to the challenge this game is some loose passing, with deteriorating quality especially in the final third. Hopefully, better chances will come in the second half.

55' - It doesn't look like it's improved so far. The complacency in passing is making a lot of chances go to waste.
61' - Soler draws a foul at the edge of the area, winning a free kick in a useful position.
62' - Valencia with their first substitution. Kang In Lee is replaced by Maxi Gomez. This will add something different in attack.
64' - Parejo's free kick is hit straight at the wall.
70' - Yellow card for Kondogbia. It didn't look like a foul, it seemed like the player kicked the ball and the follow-through hit Kondogbia causing pain to the player.
72' - Yellow card for Montes. He fouled Correia and then uttered some verbal abuse at him while he was on the ground.
73' - Yellow card for Soler. He used handled an opposing player to stop his run.
74' - Second change for each of the teams. Castaneda on for Araujo. Gaya on for Jaume Costa.
77' - Great combination play from Valencia. Gaya and Soler exchange passes back and forth. Soler plays it to Gameiro in the box who the picks out Maxi first time. Maxi, with his back to goal, plays the ball back to Parejo in space but the shot is off-target. Needs to do better there and hit the target. Good build-up but no final product.
79'- Final change for Cultural Leonesa, Marcos on for Martinez.
82' - Final change for Valencia. Kondogbia is swapped for Coquelin.
86' - Cultural Leonesa with their best chance of the game from a counter attack on the left flank. The cross finds Benito but Jaume with a quick reflex save to deny the effort.
89' - Correia with a terrible back-pass to Domenech, resulting a last minute corner. Luckily, it's easy for him to deal with.
90' - Five minutes of time is added for stoppages by the referee.
90+2' - Yellow card for Aitor for a late challenge on Diakhaby, hitting him tail bone with a sliding tackle.
90+4' - Cultural Leonesa with an effort from the edge of the penalty box but it's hit straight at Domenech, good height and right in the middle.

FULL-TIME (Extra-Time Next): The second half barely had any improvement on the first. There is a scarcity of chances. The team will now have to play 30 minutes of extra-time and a possible penalty shoot-out which nobody wants to play, especially against Cultural Leonesa. This just adds unnecessary fatigue to the team, ahead of a very important month. Extra time also gives each team an additional substitution to make. For Valencia, there is Rivero, Mangala, Esquerdo and Sobrino on the bench left. A substitute using any of those players would likely be for fresh legs or in case of an injury but not really an impact change. Sobrino can surprise off the bench as he has done before, but he is highly unpredictable in terms of performance.

96' - Cultural Leonesa with a splitting through ball behind Gaya, leaving the Luque clear on goal. Fortunately, his Domenech denies him with a great save. Too close for comfort.
98' - Both teams use their extra substitutions. Sobrino comes in for Gameiro. Dominguez on for Galvan.
100' - Paulista looks like he's struggling with some sort of knock/injury. No more substitutions are left though.
104' - Gaya plays the ball to Sobrino in the box. Sobrino heads it down for Soler to shoot but the shoot has too much power and it flies way over the goal. Composure was needed there. It was a good chance. One minute added by the referee for stoppages.
105+1' - Awful free kick delivery in the dying minutes from Parejo. It misses literally everyone. Yellow card for Castaneda for protesting the free kick.

106' - Valencia set up a good chance early in the second half. Gaya plays a cross to the far edge of the box where Ferran receives in space. He hits it well but the keeper makes a good save to maintain the tie.
109' - Gaya wins a free kick. Parejo delivers to the far side where Ferran waits again, he attempts to cross it on the volley but he fumbles the effort and it's out.
111' - Ferran involved in another chance. He receives the ball centrally, goes past the defender at the edge of the box and runs wide with it, all the while making the angle at goal smaller. He fires at goal but the effort is wide.
114' - Parejo seems to be at his fatigue limit. He's walking a lot and struggling with it.
115' - Gaya plays a quick pass ahead to Soler. He takes a touch and a look up before shooting at goal but it's straight at the keeper.
116 ' - Corner for Leonesa and they bring everyone but the keeper forward to the Valencia half. The corner is cleared by Valencia and a counter attack starts. Sobrino drives the ball forward on the right-flank and waits for support. He gets tackled and wins a free kick. Yellow card for Pichin for that challenge.
119' - Best chance in a long time for Valencia. Gaya makes a run along the goall line and pulls it back. It's a game of pinball in the box. It falls to Sobrino in space but he takes too many touches and his shot is blocked.

PENALTY SHOOT OUT: This is the only way left to split these two teams. Leonesa will take the first kick.

0-0: Jaume with a save! Menudo is denied!
0-1: Coquelin scores! Blasted right into the roof of goal with the keeper going right.
0-1: Jaume stops the penalty again! Benito leaves disappointed. Same side, almost identical save!
0-2: Soler sends the keeper the wrong way and passes the ball into the net! Good lead!
1-2: Pichin gets the first one for Leonesa. Lots of power and Jaume goes the opposite way.
1-3: Maxi Gomez scores this time! The keeper guesses the right way but Maxi places it in the top corner.
2-3: Montes scores. Jaume barely moved for that one.
2-4: Parejo scores and Valencia goes through! The keeper goes the wrong way.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Not a convincing or pretty display by any measure but the result is there. It took all the way to the penalty shoot-out to split these two teams which are quite far apart in stature. The opposition was tough to break down and it look like the game was going to go all the way even early on.

Jaume Domenech was the clear man of the match here. Two saves in the shoot-out early on and great reflexes to deny earlier efforts from open play.

Overall, nothing to be too happy about. Too much effort and fatigue was exerted to achieve this results and qualify. However, games like this tend to bring the team together and build resilience.

The draw for the quarter finals happens on Thursday and the fixtures will get tougher than this. Let's hope the team fares better in those games.

Next game is on Saturday against Celta Vigo at Mestalla in La Liga. Amunt!

La Liga Matchday #21: Valencia CF 2 - 0 FC Barcelona Match Thread

Valencia return to Mestalla to face Barcelona in the 20th matchday of La Liga. This will not be an easy game as many have pointed out that Valencia has not beaten Barcelona in La Liga since, well, a very very long time.

This is the second match against Barcelona in this season. The first one, at the Nou Camp, was Celades's first game in charge of Valencia and the team got beaten convincingly with a 5-2 scoreline. Barcelona were up 2-0 within 7 minutes of the game. Kevin Gameiro managed to score one midway into the half to give the team a chance. Barcelona would score 3 goals in the second half to put the game beyond all hope. A Maxi Gomez goal in extra time would be the start of his goal scoring campaign for Valencia but was only a consolidation prize in the game.

Valencia and Barcelona have both had tough times in the Copa del Rey fixtures midweek. Ibiza scored early (7 minute) against Barcelona and kept the lead all the way to the 72nd minute of the game when Griezmann evened it out. The draw would drag out to stoppage time when Griezmann would go on and win the game in the 4th minute. Valencia played against Logroñés and although they scored midway into the first half, struggled to convert several chances afterwards in typical fashion. The game would then tense up and Logroñés was allowed to dominate extended periods of the second half. Valencia would maintain the scoreline but eventually had to play to run down the clock as they couldn't risk going for the win.

In the previous La Liga matchday, Valencia suffered a heavy 4-1 away loss against relegation side Mallorca. On the other hand, Messi guided Barcelona to 1-0 home win to Granada but only after they had been reduced to 10 men via red card.

Valencia currently sit at 7th with 31 points from 19 games, while Barcelona are 1st with 43 points from the same number of games.

It should be noted that Barcelona replaced their manager Valverde with Quique Setién only two game prior and they have struggled in both of those games (Granada and Ibiza).

Valencia La Liga form: LWDDW
Barcelona La Liga form: WDWDD

SQUAD

Cillissen was meant to start the previous fixture against Logroñés, however he felt discomfort during warm-up before the game and was replaced by Jaume as a last minute decision. The discomfort persists and he will be out of this game as well with Rivero providing cover as a substitute.

Cheryshev's injury also takes him out of this game but the estimated recovery time has yet to be announced. He missed the last game as well. Esquerdo is called yet again to the squad, this time as cover.

Paulista and Kondogbia, who were both suspended from the midweek Copa del Rey game due to bookings in the previous season, return to the lineup for this game.

All eyes will be on Rodrigo who has returned after missing two weeks with injury. In the meantime, he has been linked with a move to Barcelona to reinforce the side in the long absence of Luis Suarez through injury.

In midfield, as predicted, both Kondogbia and Coquelin start with Parejo's susupension appeal failing. Celades opts not to start Rodrigo in favor of a Gameiro/Maxi Gomez partnership.

It is most likely a 4-4-2 but if Soler joins the kidfield to join Kondogbia and Coquelin it could crowd the midfield to deal with Barcelona's midfield. Gameiro could then move wide and we would see a 4-3-3 but Celades is likely to stick to the familiar.

Bench: Rivero, Costa, Diakhaby, KangIn, Esquerdo, Sobrino, Rodrigo

MATCH

10' - Penalty for Valencia and a yellow card for Pique for the foul! Kondogibia's through ball attempt was blocked but Carlos Soler gathered the ball and found the overlapping run from Gaya. Gaya passes his defender and is through on goal before Pique intervenes and takes him out from behind. Maxi Gomez steps up to take since Parejo is absent.
11' - Ter Stegen saves the shot. Maxi hits it with the right power but it's at a good height for the keeper and he guessed the direction correctly. Ter Stegen seemed to be a bit off his line but it rarely gets called anyway. Unfortunate.
28' - Valencia with another great chance, started by Soler again. He picks out Maxi Gomez who had drifted wide. Maxi cuts inside and takes a shot and Ter Stegen pushes it into the crossbar and back out. It falls to Gameiro inside the box but again Ter Stegen saves his shot.
43' - Yellow card for Umtiti

45' - Chance for Barcelona early on. Messi picks out Ansu Fati with a through ball but the youngster cannot hit the target, it's well wide.
48' - GOAL VALENCIA! 1-0! An own goal by Jordi Alba. Wass starts the play with an overhead pass for Maxi Gomez. Umtiti intercepts with a header but it's poor and gives possession to Gameiro, who then delivers it to Maxi. Maxi scuffs the shot and it travels all the way across goal where Gaya manages to keep it in play and crosses it. The ball is headed across by Pique and then Jordi Alba but falls to Maxi yet again. He takes a shot and it deflects off Jordi Alba and into the roof of the goal past Ter Stegen.
52' - Yellow card for Sergio Busquets.
54' - Yellow card for Coquelin.
56' - Barcelona's first change is Arturo Vidal on for Arthur.
59' - First substitution for Valencia. Gameiro off, Rodrigo on.
77'- GOAL VALENCIA! 2-0! Maxi Gomez with the goal. It started with a Rodrigo throw-in straight to Ferran Torres in an advanced position. Ferran retains possession and waits for Maxi Gomez to get into the box and picks him out with a through ball. Rodrigo joins the players in the box but Maxi goes for the shot using the Barcelona defender to mask the keeper's vision and curling it around to the far post. Great goal! This is what he was signed for!
80' - Second change for Valencia. Maxi Gomez off, Jaume Costa on. Clearly a defensive change as Celades wants to retain this scoreline.
85' - Barcelona with a double substitution. Frankie de Jong and Fati off, Rakitic and Collado on.
89' - Valencia with their third and final change to run down the clock. Sobrino in for Soler.

FULL-TIME

Better than most people could've hoped for. A fixture that had been unwinnable for such a long time has finally ended in a win even without Parejo.

Barcelona seemed far off from the lethal force they used to be. Partially because Suarez was absent and partially because of the coaching change. However, even then it seemed like a very tame Barcelona. Their only good chance came from Ansu Fati at the start of the second half?

Valencia were unfortunate not to score from the penalty early on in the game. The decision to award was correct and Gaya did well to win it. He clearly anticipates the challenge and takes the ball away from Pique to draw the foul. It was Maxi's first penalty so it's alright. It would actually be favorable if the strikers start taking the penalties just so that they can get their goal tallies up and build confidence. In most other teams that is the case.

Valencia's first goal did come from a deflection which was fortunate. However, the play building up to the goal involved a lot of mistakes from the Barcelona defense. Umtiti's initial clearance was rushed and Gaya's cross, although it was headed away by Pique and then Jordi Alba, was not dealt with well enough and fell straight to Maxi Gomez.

The second goal put the game away and was good to see. A thrown-in from Rodrigo to Ferran caught the defense sleeping. They were drawn to Ferran leaving Maxi in space and he finishes really well. He is now at 8 goals in La Liga and looks like he will add more.

Good results with a clean sheet as the icing on the cake. It was unexpected but a very welcomed surprise. The team seems to cope better against more dominant teams and is good at punishing them with counterattacks.

Next fixture is this Wednesday the 29th when Valencia play Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. Amunt Valencia!

Copa del Rey last 16 draw

Though Valencia's win in the cup away to third level opposition was unconvincing, at least we got through. The same can't be said for 10 La Liga clubs, half the division, who have already gone out to lower league opposition. Both our quarter and semi-final rivals from last season, Getafe and Betis, are out. The biggest scalp this midweek was Atletico Madrid, who lost after extra time to Cultural Leonesa. Clearly, there's a motivation element here, with lower league sides taking it seriously while top division sides put out half-strength teams. Today's draw was:

with Valencia now travelling to Leon to meet Atletico Madrid's conquerors the coming midweek. VAR will be used from this round on. Though Leonesa are of the third level, they've already shown they are not a team to be taken lightly. They're currently second in their division, just behind Logrones, who we narrowly beat. Leonesa are also an ambitious side: owned by Qataris, with decent investment, partnership with English side Leeds and owners who have a target of getting them to the top division by 2025. We need to make sure we are not the latest scalp on their planned road to the top.

The big question is how seriously Valencia should take this competition? Obviously, as last season showed, we can win it *and* achieve other objectives. However, we have a very tough February ahead, which will make or break our Champions league ambitions, with away games at Getafe, Sociedad and Atalanta. Put out a weakened team and we risk the fate of Atletico and many other La Liga teams. Take it seriously and we risk more injuries. Next Tuesday or Wednesday, we may get an answer.

Copa del Rey Round of 32: UD Logroñés 0 - 1 Valencia CF Match Thread

The fourth competition for the season begins for Valencia in Wednesday’s fixture against UD Logroñés. With the new format of the competition, there is only one leg, meaning the winning of this match goes through to the Round of 16. Valencia come in as the reigning champions to defend their title.

The result of the new format is that Valencia will probably field a better squad than what they would do otherwise. Instead of providing a rest opportunity for the main squad and some game minutes for the bench players, this is just another load onto the main team to take on. It must also be said that its another opportunity for players to get injured in a season already riddled with injuries. As the team moves into the crucial part of the season, these cannot be afforded.

Logroñés plays in the Segunda División B of La Liga. While this would be a simple game for many other team, recent results indicate that there could be a tricky game. Fixtures against Eibar and Valladolid who are closer to the bottom of the table proved challenging with tight scores. Just 3 days ago, humiliation against RCD Mallorca, a relegation side, with a 4-1 scoreline.

This competition always draws mixed responses, some people, including the owner himself, simply do not value this competition (at least according to Marcelino). They would rather efforts be focused on the main sources of revenue and prestige – La Liga and the Champions League. Extra-time and penalty shoot-outs are also possible in this competition, adding to the exhaustion and could result in a tired squad for an important weekend fixture against Barcelona. Others want Valencia to be competitive in all matches, to have the mentality of a big team and believe they can win it all. Regardless of which camp they’re in, I think most would be upset with a bad result here.

While Valencia suffered a 4-1 defeat away from home in their last game, Logroñés pulled off a comeback away from to Haro scoring two goals into the second half to win the game 1-2. 

Logroñés form: WDDWW

Valencia form: LWDDW

SQUAD

Garay is available for selection, having missed last game with an ankle injury. Hopefully, his reintroduction provides some structure back to a defense that was largely absent the previous game.

Rodrigo remains in recovery with the goal to play in the weekend match against Barcelona. 

Paulista and Kondogbia are missing from the squad list due to suspension from accumulated bookings in the last season's Copa del Rey. This leaves room for both Mangala and Esquerdo in the squad as their replacements.

It's a very different lineup from what was expected. It seems Celades has the game against Barcelona in mind and trust this team to do the job against Logroñés.

Cillissen returns to the lineup after an extended spell on the bench. It seems he will be in charge of this competition.

 The defense has been overhauled completely with all substitute players being used, even Mangala and Correia.

With Parejo suspended in the upcoming La Liga fixture against Barcelona, it would make sense that he starts here. Esquerdo joins him in midfield. Soler and Ferran play their usual roles in wide positions.

KangIn and Maxi look like they will lead the attack. There is a chance that Ferran plays up front and KangIn takes his wide position.

Bench: Domenech, Garay, Gaya, Wass, Coquelin, Sobrino, Gameiro

MATCH

1' - It seems like there was an error in the posted lineup with Domenech starting over Cillissen. I wonder why Cillissen is not being given any game time. Ferran is playing wide, KangIn playing up front with Maxi Gomez. Soler and Parejo are playing centrally, leaving Esquerdo on the left flank.

14' - GOAL Valencia! 0 - 1! Correia with a run forward, passes to Maxi Gomez who spreads it wide to Ferran and continues his run forward into the box. Ferran picks him out perfectly for an easy header past the keeper. Good start!

21' - KangIn Lee with a shot on goal that's cleared off the line! Close to a second! Jaume Costa provided the delivery, Kang In controlled the ball with his back to goal and did a turning shot on goal.

25' - Another shot cleared off the line, this time from Ferran! The corner was not dealt with well by Logroñés and it fell to Ferran in such a good position. He would normally score that.

29' - Good from Diakhaby and Mangala maintaining their discipline and playing the Logroñés player offside, he was through on goal there.

31' - Yellow card for Ferran Torres. It was KangIn who fouled the Logroñés player yet Ferran got booked. It's probably for something prior to that. Yeah, the replay showed an earlier challenge of Ferran's where he had his studs up.

36' -Logroñés pulling off a string of passes around the Valencia penalty area. The resulting shot is blocked by Mangala.

41' - Logroñés with a free kick from a dangerous position to the right of Jaume's goal. It was Correia's foul that resulted in the free kick. It's crossed into the box and Mangala's header hit the crossbar and bounced back out. The resulting cross is claimed by Jaume. Almost an own goal there from Mangala.

44' - Logroñés gets some space and makes a runs horizontally, drawing defenders. He surprised with a shot from distance but it's slightly high and wide.

HALF-TIME: It's a half of very small margins. Three chances, 2 for Valencia and one for Logroñés that were close-calls. The two chances for Valencia fell to KangIn and Ferran, who would normally gobble up those chances, but both efforts were cleared off the line. The close-call for Logroñés was in the form of a header by Mangala as a clearance attempt but it hit the crossbar and bounced out. In general, Valencia has the edge in this game so far with more possession and more shots on goal. 

The defense looks more alert than last game. Correia's side has been the main point of attack for Logroñés and has put him under pressure. Costa hasn't had trouble from his end, while Diakhaby and Mangala are dominating any aerial plays. In midfield, Parejo and Soler have given the ball away a couple of times which is not good in any game but especially today where they should be dominating. KangIn is getting in the right positions but is also guilty of some giveaways. Esquerdo has been hardly visible. Maxi continues to build his goal count for the season. Second half will start soon, hopefully the team put the game away and complete a convincing second half.

46' - Mangala with shaky start to the half, giving the ball away and then getting completely taken out by the attacking player. He manages to get it out for a corner. The corner is header just over the bar, too close for comfort.

48' - Diakhaby with a give away, a loose pass across the box right to the Logroñés player. He takes a shot on goal but Costa is swift to get in the way and block the shot.

52 ' - Logroñés have come out strongly this second half taking control of possession and chances. Correia being targeted yet again. 

54' - Valencia with a chance from the corner. Parejo picks out Maxi Gomez at the near post, who takes a glancing header across goal but it's over the crossbar,

55' - Yellow card for Valencia. Mangala with a push from behind on the Logroñés player.

60' - More possession giveaway from Valencia causing a counterattack. David drives the ball forward and tries to test Jaume with a shot from distance but it doesn't trouble him.

62' - First substitution for Valencia. KangIn off, Coquelin in.

66' - Logroñés with a change for their own, Quintana off for Andy.

70 ' - Logroñés has looked like the more dangerous side this half. So many giveaways from the midfield that the opposition uses to counterattack. 

72' - Coquelin with a good interception at the edge of the Valencia box. He drives the ball forward, spins past the opposition player and picks out Ferran. Ferran looks up, sees the run of Soler into the box and picks him out with a through ball. However, the keeper anticipates the effort and smothers the shot.

73' - Ferran seems to have switched sides and is playing on the left side of midfield now.

74' - Good chance for Valencia. Ferran finds Costa's run with a through ball but the resulting cross is directly at the keeper. He parries the ball straight to the feet of Maxi Gomez but the shot is over the crossbar. That should've been a goal.

75' - Second substitution for Logroñés, Mateos off, Saenz in.

76' - What a chance. Quick free kick from Valencia in midfield finds Parejo who plays in Ferran Torres with a through ball. He's one-on-one against the keeper but cannot score as the keeper saves the effort.

77' - Second change for Valencia, Maxi Gomez is replaced by Kevin Gameiro.

79' - Logroñés with their final chance, Ander Vitoria in for Garcia. Commentator saying that he's their top scorer this season, wonder why he didn't start. Clear sign of intent in going for the win for the opposition.

81' - Yellow card for Oleatxea. Dangerous challenge from behind on Parejo.

83' - Gameiro uses his pace to drive into the box onto a backheel from Correia. The keeper parries it into his post but it stays out. Almost an own goal.

85' - Final change for Valencia is an attacking one. Esquerdo is taken off for Sobrino.

89' - So many chances are being wasted with poor delivery on the final ball. Sobrino and Ferran both had good runs but they were not picked out well.

90' - Three minutes of time for stoppages added by the referee.

90+2' - Valencia content with just keeping possession and running down the clock.

FULL-TIME

Valencia are through to the Round of 16 but only narrowly. If it's only about the result the job was done. Other than that it was hardly convincing. 

Valencia had the better first half with the goal from Maxi Gomez and two more potential goals with efforts from KangIn and Ferran that were cleared off the line.

In the second half though, Logroñés took the reins of this match and cause problems for Valencia. In the first few minutes of the second half alone, they could've scored twice by way of complete complacency from Mangala first then Diakhaby. That was their biggest mishap in match where they played decently well. The most frequent threats in the half though were by applying pressure to Correia's end. 

The midfield continuously gave the ball away over and over, facilitating these attacking plays from Logroñés. Only when Coquelin was introduced did the structure of midfield return. Having Soler and Parejo together in midfield resulted in a lot of overlap of responsibilities and not enough variety of skill sets.

The offense in the second half lacked the sharpness to score. The chances were there. Soler's chance was dealt well with by the keeper. Gameiro's also was parried but almost resulted in an own goal for Logroñés. Ferran had a one-on-one chance squandered. Maxi Gomez, Sobrino and Ferran all had a run into a good position but the final delivery wasn't there for them to score. 

This game was a good test of the reliability of the bench. For me, Costa passed most convincingly of them. Gameiro seems to do well when brought on late where his pace can cause the most trouble. Kang In had a good chance, but also got out-muscled off the ball. Esquerdo was largely invisible that game. Mangala and Diakhaby had one or two mishaps that would've been costly against a higher caliber team. Correia was under a lot of pressure with his side being the chosen path of attack for Logroñés and more often than not handled himself. Although it cannot be helped to think that against stronger opposition, it would be a different story.

Next game is on Saturday when Valencia return to the Mestalla to face Barcelona in matchday 21 of La Liga. 

La Liga Matchday #20: RCD Mallorca 4 - 1 Valencia CF Match Thread

Valencia return to La Liga to officially start the second half of the season. The team travels away to play Mallorca at the Iberostar Stadium.

During the break Valencia had a chance to recover some of the players on the injury list. These players have been the only reinforcements so far for the team with the transfer activity remaining fairly quiet since the window opened. The break also featured Valencia travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in the Spanish Super Cup, as the Copa del Rey champions. The result was disappointing with low effort and energy amidst a crowd that made their favorites clear from the get go. The team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid with the only goal coming from a Parejo penalty in the dying minutes of the game. It would've been nice to win but I doubt the fans, players or club management is that upset about this competition.

In La Liga, Mallorca's last game had them travel away from home to play Granada. A game that they lost 1-0 with a goal in the first half.  For Valencia, the last matchday was a home game in which the team delivered a 1-0 win against Eibar. Maxi Gomez scored mid-way into the first half with a great header assisted by Wass.

The last game against Mallorca earlier in the season ended in a 2-0 home win for Valencia with Dani Parejo scoring both goals. That game was Marcelino's last game in charge of the team despite the result. 

Mallorca are in the relegation spots at 18th with 15 points from 19 games. They are tied for the 2nd worst defense of the league conceding 33 goals. Valencia are 7th with 31 points from 19 games. 

A win for Valencia would take them to 5th place, 1 point behind Sevilla.

Mallorca La Liga form: WDDWW

Valencia La Liga form: LLDLL

SQUAD

The most notable addition to the lineup is KangIn who returns from a long-term injury. Ferran is also included in the list, after his injury estimate of a false flag with original estimates of injury between 3-4 weeks. 

Garay is out of the list with an ankle discomfort that he suffered during the game against Real Madrid. As a result, Mangala returns to the squad list.

Bench: Cillissen, Mangala, Costa, Kondogbia, KangIn, Ferran, Sobrino

MATCH

6' - Yellow card for Dani Parejo. He will miss the next match against Barcelona due to accumulated bookings.
7' - Goal for Mallorca. 1-0. Raillo gets onto the end of the free kick delivery, unmarked. Wass was supposed to mark him but he seems to have slipped, giving him a free shot at goal.
12'- Yellow card for Coquelin. Two early yellows now for Valencia.
22' - Goal for Mallorca. 2-0. Budimir gets onto the end of a ball across goal and taps it past Jaume. The defending is atrocious, it's like the players are just training ground cones. Coquelin and Diakhaby who are usually solid, giving way too much space to Mallorca.
38' - Yellow card for Raillo.
41' - Goal for Mallorca. 3-0. This is getting really bad. Three goals down against a relegation side is just embarrassing. A through ball from Salva Sevilla splits the defense and isolate Budimir against Diakhaby. Diakhaby trips over his own feet and Budimir uses the opening to fire across goal to the far post and Jaume can only grasp for air as the ball sails past him.
44' - Celades with an early substitution. Ferran Torres replaces Cheryshev.

51' - Red card for Valencia. Parejo receives a second yellow card. It is surely all over at this point. The tackle itself looked clean, surprised that this was given. VAR didn't think this was a clear and obvious error?
55' - Yellow card for Salva Sevilla.
60' - Yellow card for Reina.
61' - Second change for Valencia. Kang In comes on to replace Gameiro.
64' - Mallorca with their first substitution. Pozo on, Hernandez off.
69' - Another change for Mallorca, the booked Salva Sevilla is replaced by Febas.
79' - Goal for Mallorca. 4-0. In a game like this, even this goal goes in. A long range effort from Dani Rodriguez rockets into the bottom right of Jaume's net. Jaume can do nothing about it. Mallorca play around Coquelin and Diakhaby like there not even there. What's going on?
82' - Goal for Valencia. 4-1. Ferran gets a consolidation goal. Even in the worst of games, he manages to get something. Wass with a simple ball into the box. Ferran is unmarked with space inside the box. The keeper is frozen as the shot sails into the net.
87' - Yellow card for Ferran Torres.

FULL-TIME

Where did this come from? The team looked very complacent against Real Madrid in the Super Cup but this is something else. What other team fighting for the European spots would let Mallorca walk away with this scoreline?

There really is no excuse for this. The players had time to rest, there was plenty of time between the previous game and this game to train and prepare, and the squad is more complete than it's ever been.

Players that are normally reliable showed up this game with minimal effort. They could not be bothered to close down the Mallorca players or apply any pressure whatsoever. The passing was very simple and nonchalant. There was a lack of intent today.

It's weird how even in earlier games against relegation sides, the team cannot find its way. They seem to do better in general against stronger teams. It's not like Mallorca or Valladolid parked the bus exactly, they actually went for it. Valladolid was a struggle. Mallorca ran over Valencia and could have had 1 or 2 more goals off of good chances as well.

Rodrigo's absence explains some of the woes in attack since he was the vital link in the chain in transitioning to offense. In defense, Garay was missing sure. But does his absence warrant 4 goals? The team will be screwed if he leaves then. Surely, there the team cannot be that different with these two players.

Valencia had been in good form in terms of results, not necessarily good performances though, before the break. Since then Celades had two games in a row where the team looked like a relegation side. Against Madrid is one thing but Mallorca is a different thing, not to take away anything from them.

Some will say these is an indication that the team is in desperate need of signings. The signings were needed regardless but this performance is more about character, intent and effort. Even the basics were lacking. It could just be a short-term lull in performances but Celades will start to feel the pressure if more of these occur.

Next game will be on Wednesday the 22nd against UD Logroñés in the Copa del Rey Round of 32.

Copa del Rey draw

The draw has just been made. In the last 32, Valencia will be away to UD Logroñés of Segunda B.

UD Logroñés are the successors to a former La Liga club which went bankrupt over a decade ago. They were second in Segunda B last season, missing out on promotion after losing a play-off. This season they are repeating the achievement, currently top of their group.

Unlike recent seasons, this isn't two legs. In the past, we could put out a weaker team to give our prospects some experience, safe in the knowledge that, if we screwed up in the first leg, as we did last season away to Gijon, we could put out a stronger team for the second leg. Now, we have to get it right first time.

The game will be next week on either 21st or 22nd with extra time and penalties if level at 90 minutes.

Injury Update

We got more news coming in terms of the injury situation.

Ferran Torres has picked up a bone injury after receiving a kick in training. He will be out of action for 3-4 weeks as a result. We said before that these injuries should be investigated and dealt with in some way on the medical, fitness or coaching levels but they seem to keep happening.

Rodrigo is still estimated to be out for a bit less than two weeks and has already missed the Super Cup game against Real Madrid.

Piccini's return has been set/planned to be the Champions League fixture against Atalanta.

Guedes is progressing well and should be back in the final week of January in the best case or the first week of February.

Manu Vallejo should also be back in the start of February.

Going the opposite direction, Kang In has recovered and is in the final stages of getting match ready. He should be available for next week's match against Mallorca in La Liga.

No news yet with regards to the transfer market activities incoming or outgoing. Just Paco rumors here and there since the start.

Spanish Super Cup Semi-Final: Valencia CF 1 - 3 Real Madrid CF Match Thread

The third competition of the season starts for Valencia with this match. With decent performances in the league and a qualification to the Champions League Round of 16, this is another competition in which Valencia can make a mark.

The format of the cup is 1 game knock-out, meaning both the semi-finals and finals are only 1 leg with no home and away tally or aggregate scores. The top 4 of the 2018-19 La Liga campaign all take part in the tournament. Valencia play Real Madrid in this semi-final while Barcelona face-off against Atletico Madrid in the other. The games will be played on a neutral ground but in Saudi Arabia, not in Spain. Two games separate each of the teams from winning a trophy.

Valencia faced off against Real Madrid earlier in the season and did very well. In fact, Real Madrid, having started the first 15 minutes or so on the front foot, struggled for the remainder of the game to deal with Valencia. Ferran and Rodrigo caused all sorts of problems for their defense while their own defense controlled Real Madrid's front line.

Valencia come into this game on the back of a 1-0 victory at home against Eibar, while Real Madrid beat Getafe in a convincing 0-3 win away from home.

The results left Valencia in 6th at 31 points and Real Madrid in 2nd at 40 points.

The form in the past 5 games is similar with Valencia having getting 11 points from the last 5 games and Real Madrid getting 9 points in the same number of games.

Valencia La Liga form: WDDWW
Real Madrid La Liga form: WDDDW

SQUAD

A very misleading squad list was released ahead of the game. There are several players who are on the injury list that cannot be part of this game but were included anyway.

Guedes and Piccini for sure will not be a part of this game as they are both still in recovery. Both will be expected back in the next month or two.

Rodrigo and Manu Vallejo will both also miss this game. Rodrigo is carrying an injury that will take him out of the lineup for the next 2 weeks, while Vallejo's return is set sometime in February. Rodrigo, especially, will be a big miss as he was very important in the last fixture between these two teams, helping with the quick defense-to-offense transitions for the team.

KangIn could be part of the list as this was his expected recovery time but still no confirmation on that. Mangala will likely not be a part of the game with other defenders available.

In Real Madrid's camp, the big news is that both Benzema and Eden Hazard will miss the game through injury.

Domench is preferred yet again over Cillissen due to a good run of form. We will see what kind of role Cillissen will play from now on, especially with more competitions starting.

This could be either a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 since both Kondogbia and Coquelin are starting the game. Coquelin has been used in a wide position many times but he could also play in a double pivot with either Parejo or Kondogbia. Coquelin had some discomfort earlier and so he was a doubt to start but Celades counted on him nonetheless.

Maxi Gomez also had a bit of discomfort and he doesn't start the game but is available on the bench. It looks like Ferran and Gameiro will take on the responsibility of driving the attack and scoring.

Bench: Cillissen, Costa, Diakhaby, Esquerdo, Cheryshev, Sobrino, Maxi Gomez

MATCH

5' - Real Madrid with a great chance following from a free kick. The ball was crossed for Varane who had beat both Soler and Garay for the header at goal but Jaume saves.
10' - It seems Valencia is content with letting Madrid keep the ball and attack similar to the opening minutes of the previous game. Madrid doing the same play over and over without much success.
14' - Goal for Real Madrid. 0-1. Kroos with a quick corner while Jaume was off his line and he curled directly into the goal. Jaume tried to save but couldn't keep it out despite getting a hand to it. Unusual goal to concede when Madrid had been contained well prior to that.
25' - Valencia starting to get more into the game in the past few minutes but nothing threatening yet. Both Ferran and Gameiro are not being allowed space to play. Coquelin has been the stand-out player so far with the effort he's putting in.
28' - Great chance for Valencia. Ferran squares the ball to Coquelin who controls, shields it from the defender and sends Gameiro into the box with space for a shot. Gameiro fires but it's over the cross bar. You have to hit the target from that position at the very least.
38' - Goal for Real Madrid. 0-2. Carvajal plays a through ball past Gaya and Soler to find Valverde, who pulls it back for Modric. His shot is blocked by Garay but the ball falls to Isco who slots it into Jaume's bottom right-corner.
41' - Another chance for Real Madrid from a corner. Isco's glancing header hits the far post and falls to Jovic. His shot is is saved by Jaume but the ball is loose in the penalty box and it's cleared haphazardly. Almost a third goal there.

HALF-TIME: Valencia haven't put the same effort against Real Madrid as they did in the previous game. Of course, that was a home game so they had extra support from Mestalla. This game seems like a Real Madrid home game since the crowd made clear from their cheers and boos who their favorite is. The game can still be saved in the second half but there needs to be changes. Madrid's first goal was very unfortunate to concede. I guess you could say that there was no reason for Jaume to be so far off his line if this is a legitimate play.

Ferran and Gameiro barely get any space to work with and when they do they haven't linked up all too well. Our midfield is getting outmatched by the opposition midfield with only Coquelin putting up a fight. Soler and Coquelin are getting drawn into central positions and leaving the flanks completely exposed for Gaya and Wass to get outnumbered.

Madrid is pressuring high up the pitch and to good effect. The Valencia defense has scrambled to clear and Jaume is forced to punt the ball across the field but there is no way Ferran or Gameiro is getting to the ball ahead of Ramos and Varane in an aerial duel. Possession almost always returns to them. 65% possession with 3 shots on target, 2 of which are goals for Real Madrid. 35% possession for Valencia with no shots on goal.

48' - Maxi Gomez and Cheryshev are both warming up. It remains to be seen whether Celades will make an early substitution.
56' - Maxi Gomez will come on now, Kondogbia is taken off. Coquelin will move back into midfield, Ferran will return out wide while Maxi joins Gameiro in attack.
59' - Yet another close effort by Real Madrid. Through ball to Modric in the penalty box. He draws the defenders and pulls the ball back for Valverde who's shot is just wide of goal.
65' - Goal for Real Madrid. 0-3. Well it's all over now. Parejo with a horrible pass that is intercepted by Isco. Isco plays a through ball to Jovic who then does the same to find Modric just inside the penalty area. Coquelin and Paulista step up in front of him and he squeezes a shot past both of them that curls past Jaume at the far post.
70' - Second substitution for Valencia, Cheryshev on for Gameiro. He has been very ineffective so far. For Real Madrid, Marcelo comes on for Mendy to huge applause from the crowd.
72' - Chance for Valencia from a corner. The delivery is headed on to the far post by Coquelin where Ferran competes with Ramos for the header. He gets a slight touch on it but not enough to divert it towards goal. Goal kick for Madrid.
74' - Maxi Gomez receives the ball in space at the edge of the penalty box and decides to take a shot. It's hit really well with a lot of venom on it. Courtois parries the effort. At least there is a shot on goal now.
76' - Second change for Real Madrid. Modric is replaced by James Rodriguez.
78' - A second shot on target this time from Parejo, again from just outside the penalty area. Courtois saves but spills the ball. Cheryshev is first to it, tries to play Maxi Gomez. Maxi leaves the ball expecting someone is behind him but possession returns to Real Madrid.
79' - Another shot on target from distance, this time from Cheryshev and yet again saved by Courtois.
81' - Last change for Madrid. Mariano on, Jovic off. Celades will bring on Sobrino. Another attacking substitution. Coquelin is the player replaced.
87' - Yellow card for Casemiro. Sobrino was running into space and he took him out from behind.
89 ' - Parejo with a good delivery from a free kick. Ferran heads it into Maxi Gomez and the ball bounces back to Soler, giving him a free shot. He doesn't get any good contact on the ball, scuffing the effort and Courtois gets to the ball slightly before Maxi Gomez who was lurking nearby.
90' - Three minutes of time added for stoppages. VAR tells the referee to review the footage. He decides to give Valencia a penalty for a handball in the previous play. Parejo steps up.
92' - Goal Valencia! 1-3! Parejo smashes it into the top right corner.

FULL-TIME

Valencia are eliminated and Real are through to the finals. A goal from a Parejo penalty in the dying minutes of the game was hardly enough to salvage a quite poor performance. It's easy to say this after the loss, but losing in this tournament isn't that big a deal. The prize money isn't significant and the trophy hardly has any importance compared to the others. I wouldn't be surprised if Lim made a call saying to not bother playing seriously in this competition.

This could've been an opportunity to win over fans in another region with a surprising performance. But the performance was very disappointing. I would've at least wanted Valencia to push Madrid like last time. Hopefully, this doesn't carry on to other competitions.

Rodrigo was missed in attack, with the remaining players hardly able to provide what he does when he's on form. The midfield was outmatched by the opposition and the defense crumbled under the high pressure from the Madrid players.

Coquelin has been the sole positive for me in the absence of others. Even though seeing him being played in a wide position was already a bad sign for me going into the game due to past experiences, he at least put in the effort.

This loss does also give us an 11 day break to the next game. We return to La Liga on Sunday the 19th of January to play Mallorca at the Iberostar Stadium. Amunt.

La Liga Matchday #19: Valencia CF 1 - 0 SD Eibar Match Thread

The break is over and now the team is back for the final game of the first half of La Liga. With the player's rested and some recovered for this part of the season, the team will be optimistic and hope ot get a win. However, there is no doubt that some mind will wander to Wednesday's Spanish Super Cup game against Real Madrid.

Valencia's final game before the break was a 1-1 draw away from home to Valladolid. Valencia would actually go down a goal 7 minutes from the full-time whistle. Manu Vallejo, who had been introduced as a substitute in the second half would rescue the point in the fourth minute of additional time, getting on the end of a Ferran cross across goal to the far post.

Eibar played at home in their last matchday and beat Granada in convincing fashion, scoring 3 goals and keeping out Granada for a clean sheet. Granada sit higher than them in the table so that an even better result.

Valencia come into this game at 8th position in the table with 28 points, 4 points away from the Champions League spots. Eibar, on the other hand, are two spots away from the relegation spots (16th), gathering 19 points from 18 points so far in the season.

Valencia La Liga form: DDWWL
Eibar La Liga form: WDLLL

SQUAD

In terms of the transfer market there is yet to be any news any player transferring in or out of the club. In related news, we know that Lato has ended his loan term in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven and has returned to La Liga for another loan spell, this time with Osasuna. He was barely getting any game time and was harshly criticized by the coach with some reports claiming that he was sent to play with their B-team as punishment. Furthermore, Paulista is on his way to claiming Spanish citizenship which would allow him to play for the Spanish national team should Luis Enrique want him to play. This is made possible since Brazil has not called him up. What really matters here to Valencia is that this will free up a non-EU spot on the team, meaning that Valencia can sign a player from a country not in the European Union, opening up even more possibilities for signings from those markets.

The squad looks a lot more complete now that some players were recovered during the break. Cheryshev rejoined the team during the last matchday. For this game, Cillissen, Gameiro and Maxi Gomez have all made their returns to the squad list.

The unfortunate news it that Manu Vallejo has moved the other way into the injury list alongside KangIn, Guedes, and Piccini. The later is expected to return in February while the former two are expected back sometime this month. Hopefully, we get to see improved performances when Celades has all his pieces to play.

Despite Cillissen's return, Domench is still given the start in goal. In defense, Garay is rested for Diakhaby, probably with an eye to the Super Cup game. Finally, Maxi Gomez returns to start.

Bench: Cillissen, Garay, Costa, Kondogbia, Cheryshev, Gameiro, Sobrino

MATCH

4' - Early chance for Valencia following a corner. Parejo delivers to the center of the box where Maxi Gomez gets enough on it to find Rodrigo in space but his shot is fired straight at the keeper. The linesman raises his flag for offside anyways.

6' - Another chance for Valencia, this time from Ferran. He fires across goal but the shot is wide.

7' - Eibar get their own chance after Diakhaby loses out in an aerial battle, the play is offside so the shot into the goal does not count. This was too close for comfort however. 

15' - Parejo with a corner straight to the head of Rodrigo but again the header is off-target. Heading is not his forte.

23' - Best chance of the half so far. Ferran passes to Rodrigo in a central position who plays it first time to find Maxi Gomez's run. Maxi Gomez crosses across goal in an attempt to return the ball to Rodrigo at the far post but Rodrigo cannot make contact with the ball.

27 ' - GOAL VALENCIA! 1-0! Maxi Gomez with the header on his return. A quick string of passes. Rodrigo to Soler on the left, Soler switches play to the other flank. Ferran receives and plays it back to Parejo who finds Wass's run. Finally, Wass with a well-timed, accurate to find Maxi Gomez. He was marked but towered above his marker and heads it down into the bottom-right corner. Valencia have been the dominant team and deserve the lead.

37' - Pedro Leon with a shot from distance to the far side of goal but Jaume is equal to the effort, parrying it away from goal.

43' - Ferran appeared cornered at the opposition corner flag but he goes through both defenders with some great skill, attempts a cross but it's blocked.

HALF-TIME: Valencia clearly look the better seem far, a good first half. The period of rest seems to have a visible improvement on the players. They are full of energy and move the ball quickly and directly to the opposition goal. The lead up the goal was an example of a string of these quick passes that ended with well-delivered cross from Wass to Maxi Gomez. It's great for him to get a goal on his return from injury as we really need him to be back to form quickly for upcoming games. Maxi has been involved in another chances as well, finding both Rodrigo and Ferran with through balls. Unfortunately those chances did not result in goal but that doesn't take away from his good performance this half. Wass had superb delivey on the cross to set him up, more of the same and Maxi should score plenty more in games to come. Looking forward to the second half where the team usually play better.

50' - Eibar with a chance from the corner. Jaume punches the delivery into the head of an Eibar player and towards goal. It hits the cross bar and deflects back out. What a way that would've been to concede. Luckily it stays out.

55' - Wasted opportunity for Valencia, Soler receives the ball and is in a 2 v 1 situation against the Eibar defender with Rodrigo in support. He cannot see a good pass for Rodrigo and takes a few touches, finds Ferran but by then the defense had reformed to deal with the effort. Corner kick results.

56' - Ferran is first to the corner with a glancing header across goal but its narrowly wide. 

57' - Rodrigo faces off with an Eibar defender in a race on the left-flank for the through ball. Rodrigo gets between him and the ball, leaving him on the ground. He runs into the box, plays a pass across goal but Maxi cannot make contact. Similar set up to the chance in the first half but the roles are reversed between Maxi and Rodrigo.

60' - Soler receives the ball in the penalty box, takes a touch and then a shot but the defender's hand blocks it. The Valencia players protest for a penalty but the referee denies. VAR agrees with his decision.

61' - Kondogbia, Gameiro and Cheryshev are warming up on the sidelines.

62' - First yellow card of the game. It's for Eibar after Charles trips Parejo.

65' - Eibar with their first substitution, Atineza comes on for Sergio Alvarez.

66' - Valencia denied a penalty claim from the referee and VAR. Soler had crossed the ball to Maxi Gomez and the defender got his foot to the ball, tripping him up. Maxi Gomez did a few rolls on the ground to sell the decision but the referee wasn't buying it.

69' - Diakhaby and Charles are both left on the ground following an aerial duel. Temporary stoppage in play.

70' - A change for both sides. Eibar take off Inui for De Blasis. Gameiro will be the first substitution used by Valencia. Maxi Gomez is taken off. Valencia need to put this game to away, this scoreline is never safe.

76' - Yellow card is shown to Daniel Wass for impeding a player with arms.

77' - Jaume with another save to deny Eibar. A cross from midfield was met by Charles in the penalty box, he headed it towards goal, just under the cross bar but Jaume tips it over.

79' - Sergi Leon with a shot from distance but it's just over the cross bar.

81'- Final substitution for Eibar. Charles leaves the field to be replaced by Quique 

83' - Celades brings on Kondogbia and takes off Rodrigo. This is probably with Wednesday's game in mind but I hope it doesn't mean the strategy will just be to defend for the next 7+ minutes.

84' - Yellow card for Eibar's Paulo Oliveira.

85' - Eibar get in a good position in the Valencia penalty area but the player hesitates instead of shooting. He pulls it back hoping that a teammate await but he only finds Coquelin who starts the counter-attack the other way.

87' - Gameiro and Ferran lead the counter chased by 3 Eibar defenders. Gameiro runs the ball to the goal line and attempts to cut across but the ball goes out of play for a goal kick.

89' - Valencia make their final substitution, Coquelin is replaced by Cheryshev.

90' - Second yellow card for Paulo Oliveira for a heavy challenge on Parejo. He is shown a red card and sent off. Four minutes added for stoppages.

FULL-TIME

A good win for Valencia on their first game post-break. The players looked rest and full of energy. This reflected in the performance as Valencia were the dominant team, especially in the first half.

This was a case, however, were the second half performance wasn't as good as the first. The second half was more even than the first. The chances that came weren't taken despite Eibar leaving plenty of space behind in their quest for an equalizer. 

This was also another case where the game should've been put to bed earlier rather than defending a narrow lead for 60+ minutes. With both Maxi and Rodrigo off for the final minutes of the game, Celades opted to defend the lead and rest the players rather than go for the second.

This win would leave Valencia 6th with 31 points but most games of the matchday are still yet to be played. An important 3 points nonetheless.

Regardless, this will be a confidence boost for the team to take into the mid-week. A lot of heads were undoubtedly thinking of that game already. The team has to travel a long way to Saudi Arabia where the cup will take place. It's even better that Maxi Gomez would start off with a goal ahead of that game.

Next game will be on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia for the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals against Real Madrid. Amunt!

Valencia's mid-term report

There's one game left until the first round of fixtures has been played so now is a good time to look at where the team is at, through player ratings.

The season had a turbulent start, overshadowed by limited activity in the transfer market as a result of the ongoing internal feud. The team then started in the worst possible way. Missing a 92nd minute penalty at home to Sociedad which would have given a two-goal cushion, then conceding a 98th minute penalty to throw away 2 points. After a defeat in game two, a dour 2-0 win over Mallorca was achieved which proved to be Marcelino's swansong. Celades had his doubters and they seemed to be proved right when the team went down 2-5 to Barcelona in his first game. Results since that, however, have improved and the team is in a good, but not excellent position, with a tough fight against teams like Sevilla, Sociedad, Bilbao and Getafe to repeat 4th place. The big achievement so far has been reaching the last 16 of the champions league for the first time in 7 years.

So, here are the manager and player ratings and comments, 6 was the default score.

CILLESSEN 6 - arrived in a swap for Neto with most of us seeing him as a minor improvement. So far he's been no better. There have been a number of quality saves, but also real gaffes, against Barcelona and Levante for example. Mixed evidence. Jury is still out.

JAUME 6 - has proved as always to be a capable back-up but 6 goals conceded in his first two games and suspicions about his weaknesses in the air and at set pieces prevent him from getting a higher rating.

WASS 6.5 - has mostly played at right back, where he started his career. Hasn't excelled there but his experience and versatility have proved useful for the team. A well taken chance against Granada and a somewhat lucky equaliser against Chelsea have been his highs.

PICCINI  (N/R = no rating) was never that amazing, but is missed as a squad player. 

THIERRY 1.5 - when some of us complained about the coaching change, it wasn't out of love for the previous manager's style of football. It was because we saw the bigger picture: more meddling by Lim and Mendes was sure to happen and that rarely goes well. This season's exhibit A for the prosecution is this guy. 12 million splashed out for a player with only a handful of club games. Predictably, it hasn't gone well and all his three appearances have seen the team concede three goals (Ajax, Getafe and Osasuna.) A loan looks inevitable. Him playing a key role at Valencia in the future doesn't.

MANGALA (N/R = no rating) bringing him back was another clear Mendesism. In fairness, he did well against Betis, but that was cancelled out with an iffy display against Villarreal.

GARAY 5 - this very well could be his last season and he looks a fading force to me, so replacing him wouldn't be the worst thing.

PAULISTA 7.5 - has really done well this season, looking a solid defender, but needs to curb his temper, with the sending off against Ajax a clear example.

DIAKHABY 6 - gets criticism from the fans, but is a solid third choice at the back and proved vs Chelsea that he can double as defensive midfielder too. Still needs more experience, as his nadir vs Lille proved.

GAYA 6.5 - has generally had a decent season so far, while not hitting the heights of previous seasons, especially in attack.

COSTA 5 - with Lato pushing for more game time (which he hasn't got) Costa returned as the replacement to scepticism. He's done okay so far, without being amazing. It's noticeable when he's playing on the right that teams target that side.

FERRAN 8.5 - is enjoying his breakout season with high level performances. Ended the year with 3 goals and 3 assists from the final 8 games. The big question: can the club renew his contract, which expires summer 2021?

SOLER 6 - unlike Ferran, his breakout hasn't quite happened and a 2-month injury layoff didn't help. A valuable player, but can he realise his early potential in 2020?

ESQUERDO N/R - somewhat fortunate to make the first team due to the incessant injuries. Haven't seen anything so far to suggest he'll be more than a bit player at Valencia.

PAREJO 7.5 - remains the engine room of Valencia, how he manages to hold on to the ball is a thing of wonder and still scares opposition keepers from free kicks. Just ask Oblak. Now, if only he could score penalties in the Champions league.

COQUELIN 7 - brought in as a back-up, has established himself as probably main choice after Dani with solid performances. Just lacks the box to box abilities of the next guy...

KONDOGBIA 4.5 - after an excellent debut season when he rivalled Guedes for player of the season, he has been a let down, with constant injuries and the feeling that he's only playing at 50%. Like Guedes, fans will hope to see a return to his best next year. Speaking of which....

GUEDES 3 - Oh Goncalo, where art thou? If you were to summarise a Guedes season at Valencia, it would be: 2.5 months where he's on fire and looks like Ronaldo reborn. 3 months injured. 3.5 months mediocre, where he runs into dead ends, loses the ball or falls over and gets dispossessed easily. So far this season, we've just seen the injury and mediocrity. For 40 million, more was expected than half a great season out of 2.5 seasons. His return to playing is said to be the end of this month. When he does come back, he really needs to step up, otherwise he'll go down as yet another expensive flop of the Lim era in the mould of Abdennour, Enzo, Negredo etc.

CHERYSHEV 6 - a good player when he's not injured. That's the problem, isn't it? He seems to spend half the season on the sidelines with injuries, which is a shame, because as he showed with the goals and performances at Bilbao and Lille, he's a useful player when fit.

KANG-IN 5.5 - like Ferran, it was hoped that this would be his season. Just hasn't happened and not only due to injury. He got a good goal against Getafe, but needs more regular playing time, which would probably come through a loan.

VALLEJO 6 - though mostly limited to sub appearances so far, has proved a handy player, with an ability to dribble at defenders. Question is similar to Kang-In, how can he get the game time necessary to improve?

SOBRINO 4 - the coaching change provided him with a second opportunity which he hasn't taken, good goal against Sevilla notwithstanding. Just doesn't look to have the level for Valencia.

RODRIGO 6.5 - forever a player who divides and polarises the Valencia fanbase. Supporters point to his link-up play and assists, which he's currently joint top of La Liga for. Critics lambast him for his lack of goals: just four in 21 games. Needs to seriously improve the latter, though we say that every season.

MAXI 6.5 - has been a good addition so far, offering something different to the attack with strength and aerial power. Needs to sharpen up his finishing, though.

GAMEIRO 6 - a combination of the comments about Cheryshev and Rodrigo. Not a bad player when he's not injured, which happens too often and also needs to work on finishing.

CELADES 7 - has done a very good job since coming in at a difficult time. Won over the dressing room and improved some aspects of Marcelino. We no longer see players ostracised, the team are better to watch and there's some tactical flexibility. On the negative, the defence really needs to improve, the injury situation needs to be investigated and the number of penalties conceded and missed needs to be reduced. Lastly, the team could to with some coaching on avoiding conceding late goals. If he can sort out those flaws, there's no reason why he shouldn't stay coach after this season.